The present invention relates generally to a railway car comprising a container defining a fluid-tight storage chamber adapted to receive pulverulent material lading such as cereal flour, sugar, cement, etc. and a pneumatic system of improved construction and arrangement for unloading the pulverulent material from the storage chamber.
One form of prior railway car for transporting pulverulent material ladings is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,478 granted Apr. 23, 1968 to E. R. Aller and R. F. Loomis. This patent shows two parallel permeable fluidizing conveyors in each end of the container, all four conveyors sloping downwardly to a sump at an angle for about 8.degree. with respect to the horizontal, the common angle for such conveyors. The fluidizing conveyors in turn are each formed from a plate having openings therein carrying thereover a porous covering secured to the perforated plate. The fluidized conveyor assembly is assembled in the container from the various individual parts thereof. Such structures make uneconomical use of the volume of the container and require expensive fabrication techniques.
An improved railway car for transporting pulverulent material is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,888 granted Sept. 30, 1968 to E. R. Aller and P. E. Solt. This patent discloses an oscillating valve structure which alternately and abruptly aerates the troughs on the opposite sides of the sump for fluidizing the pulverulent material and moving it into the sump. A further improvement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,310 granted Nov. 2, 1978 to E. R. Aller, this patent illustrating a proportioning device for proportioning the conveying air into the fluid inlet conduit and the fluid outlet conduit to maintain a predetermined ratio between the fluid pressures in the fluid inlet conduit and the fluid outlet conduit. The railway cars of both of these patents make uneconomical use of the interior cross section of the container and utilize expensive fabrication techniques.